Evidence from half a century of literature: The various impacts of sustainability initiatives
(A2025-126400)

AUTHORS

Nora Bäckman, Aalto University School of Business; JOHANNA FRÖSÉN, Aalto University School of Business; JOHANNA BRAGGE, Aalto University School of Business

ABSTRACT

Sustainability initiatives are quickly becoming essential components of corporate strategies. However, the specific outcomes of these initiatives are often difficult to measure, leading to concerns about resource efficiency and the inevitable trade-offs between diverse outcomes. By analyzing 122 articles from leading marketing journals between 1981 and 2024, this study sheds light on the diverse impacts of sustainability initiatives discussed in extant research. The study identifies five types of outcomes: related to customer behavior, organizational processes, marketing practices, company image, and business performance. Interestingly, the triple-bottom-line goals of environmental sustainability and social responsibility do not (yet) emerge as distinct outcomes. The diversity of the outcomes identified points to the difficulty of addressing the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives, the outcomes of which are likely to be manifold, difficult to measure, and often conflicting.